Dry, cracked heels are unsightly and can be painful. Left untreated, the area can become infected. Creams to treat cracked heels perform three functions: fighting infection, moisturizing dry skin and loosening hardened skin. These creams contain three types of ingredients: antiseptic and/or antibiotic, emollient and keratolytic. These ingredients work alone or in combination to relieve cracked heels.
Antiseptics and Antibiotics
Cracked heels are actually openings in the skin, which is why the area is sometimes painful. These openings can allow infection to penetrate the surface of the skin. A doctor may prescribe or recommend a topical antibiotic cream to apply to the affected area to relieve pain and prevent infection. Severe cases may require a course of oral antibiotics, Marc Mitnick, DPM, writes on the Foot Pain Explained website.
Lidocaine-benzalkonium cream combines antiseptic and anesthetic ingredients to cleanse the affected area and relieve the pain of cracked heels, according to Drugs.com. Lidocaine-benzakonium cream is for external use only. Do not apply lidocaine-benzakonium cream on oozing or weeping skin, blisters or other open wounds. If your heels are deeply cracked, consult with a physician before using lidocaine-benzakonium cream. If you don't see improvement within seven days, consult with your physician or health care professional before continuing to use lidocaine-benzakonium cream.
Emollients and Humectants
Emollients and humectants are topical agents that relieve cracked heels by moisturizing the skin. Apply emollient or humectant cream directly to cracked heels. If you apply the cream at night, try wearing socks to help the treatment absorb more completely, Mitnick advises.
Emollients fill the gaps between skin cells to form a barrier on the surface of the skin and keep moisture within skin tissues. Emollients are either oil-based, which provides a thicker layer of cream, or water-based, which leaves less residue. Examples of emollients include shea butter, lanolin and mineral oil.
Humectants draw moisture from the air and into skin tissues. Because of their high humidity levels, humectants penetrate thick layers of rough dry skin or scaly layers of skin. Examples of humectants include glycerin and urea.
Keratolytic Creams
Keratolytic creams relieve cracked heels by peeling away the top layers of rough, dry skin. Keratolytic medications also work to remove corns, calluses, dandruff and warts. Apply keratolytic creams directly to the affected area, taking care to keep the cream on the external portions of the skin to avoid irritation. Keratolytic creams are sometimes combined with humectants such as urea or lactic acid. Salicylic acid is a common keratolytic agent.
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